Fairy Godmother

This is a story that I wrote over the course of a few hours while in the RCA field. I had asked the students I was working with to give me ideas for a fairy tale. The princess and the pea, the boy who cried wolf and little red riding hood were mentioned.

I had originally intended the story to be a lighthearted mishmash of tales. It became something else.

I don't always come up with the stories. Sometime, I'm just writing them down. I hope you enjoy it as much as I (and the students) did. 

Once upon a time a call went out to the four corners of the world, to all of the great kingdoms. The prince of the kingdom of Shadow Vale was seeking a bride. But in order to marry him, his bride-to-be must first be verified as a true princess.

The princess of Sunny Vale had heard that the prince was very handsome and wonderful and kind, and asked her father the king if she could go and be verified. The request annoyed her father.

“I am a king, my child,” he said. “Of course you are a true princess. It would be foolish, insulting even, for you to go and I forbid it.”

The princess cried and begged, but the answer was the same. She went to her room and cried and cried.

She wept, head in her hands. But while she did so, a white light slowly filled the room. She looked up to see a small woman, plump in the waist with white hair, glasses and kindly face, flying into her window.

“Who are you,” asked the princess.

“I am a fairy godmother,” said the little old lady with a mirthful smile. “I have heard your cries and will help you find your way to the prince.”

The princess was overjoyed and listened intently as the fairy godmother told her of the quickest route through the forest; a scary and dark place, but one that would allow her to be verified before anyone else.

“Thank you so much, fairy godmother,” said the elated princess.

The fairy just smiled, gave her a wink and faded away in shimmering lights. A few hours later, the princess brushed her hair and placed her tiara on her head, and made sure she looked lovely. Then she snuck out of the castle and made her way to the forest. There she found the path that had been made known to her. With a smile on her face and a bounce in her step, she began her journey.

After walking for a few hours in the fading, evening sunlight she met a boy on the path. He was sallow-faced, sickly looking and gave the princess goose pimples.

“Go no further,” he said, holding up his hand to stop her. “This way there is a wolf and you are in great danger.”

The princess was frightened by the boy’s words. However, her desire to be wedded to the handsome prince was too great and she forced herself to be brave.

“I must go on,” she said, and walked past the boy. After traveling a few paces she turned to see if he was following. The boy was gone, and a shiver ran down her spine.

Her knees shook as she continued on her way. A rustle in the bushes made her heart begin to pound. And even more frightening was the way the rustling seemed to be following her.

Suddenly something burst out of the shrubs and foliage, scattering leaves and dead branches in its wake. There was a loud roar and the princess fell to the ground, arm held up in defense. She waited to feel the pain of sharp teeth, but it never came.

Instead, she heard something. Something that made her feel a fool. And when she saw the source of the noise, she grew quite angry.

The boy from before, the one who had warned her of the dangers ahead, was standing there. His arms rested on his knees as he tried to hold himself up from laughing so hard. After a moment his laughter slowed and he stood, shaking his head.

“Why would you do such a thing,” screamed the princess, coming to her feet.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” said the boy. “I just couldn’t resist. But I’m very serious about the wolf I mentioned and I really think you should turn back. You are in great danger.”

The princess laughed. “And you expect me to believe you and be afraid so you can scare me again? I think not.”

“Please,” said the boy. “I’m serious about this. There really is a...”

“Fool me once,” the princess cut him off. “Shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

With this, she shoved past him and continued on her way. He called out to her again but his words fell on deaf ears.

Soon after, the sun went down and the forest grew very dark. The trees were thick and the bushes tall. All the princess could see was a virtual wall of deep browns and darks greens on the sides of the moonlit path. She felt afraid but steeled herself and continued on.

She peered to the sides, eyes darting toward every little noise. It sounded like something was near.

Ahead of her on the path a figure emerged. She felt panicked for a moment before realizing it was the figure of the boy.

“Please stop,” he shouted, out of breath.

“You again,” said the princess. “Why do you keep trying to frighten me?”

The boy made his way to her with a limp that she hadn’t noticed before. “I’m not trying to frighten you,” he said. “I’m trying to save...”

He never finished the sentence, for out of the dark forest leapt the biggest, blackest wolf the princess would ever see. In one pounce it landed next to the boy, gripped him in its jaws and began tearing him to pieces.

The princess ran as fast as she could. She heard the fading sound of the boy’s cries. Heard the crunching of bones and the gnashing of teeth. Then silence.

The princess did not stop. The path grew brighter ahead, the woods less thick. Soon she was able to see clearly, and her heart grew light at the sight before her.

There, just outside of the forest was a bridge. And beyond the bridge a castle loomed. Soon she would reach her goal.

Without looking back she sprinted over the bridge. She rushed up to the castle doors and began pounding on them. She cried out.

“Hello,” she yelled. “Will someone please let me in? I’m here to be verified as a princess and a wolf is after me!”

“A wolf?”

The muffled voice came from behind the castle door and was followed by the sound of bolts being thrown. The door flew open and standing before her was the fairy godmother she had met earlier.

“You?”

“Don’t dabble, my child,” said the little fairy woman. “Hurry inside, now. Quickly.”

The princess entered with haste, closing and bolting the door behind her.

“Are you alright, my dear,” asked the old fairy.

“Yes, I’m alright,” said the princess. “I was so afraid of the wolf. I must look an awful mess, but I’m so glad to be here. When may I be verified?”

The fairy godmother smiled at her sincerely. “Follow me and we’ll get started right away.”

They walked through the castle, up and down stairs. The princess marveled at the beautiful decorations: tall banners, large chandeliers, tapestries of bright colors, and the most wonderful paintings.

One of the paintings was of the prince. The princess paused to admire him; he was just as handsome as she had heard. Coal black hair, a handsome face and beautiful, bright green eyes. The eyes dazzled her, held her spellbound and she thought she had seen them before. Perhaps in a dream.

The old fairy’s voice pulled her from her musings. “Right this way my dear.”

The princess followed. She entered into a room like none she had ever seen before. It was filled with mattresses, stacked high, nearly up to the ceiling.

The princess was awestruck. She stared up, up, up and slowly turned around taking it all in. It was oddly beautiful.

“Soon, we will prove that you are a princess, my dear,” said the fairy godmother. “Just climb up to the top of the mattresses and have a rest before we get started.”

She thought it seemed a strange place to take a rest but, after the ordeal with the wolf, the princess felt like sleep would be very welcome. She gave a smile and curtsy to the old fairy godmother, straightened her tiara, then made her way up the ladder. It seemed to take quite some time, but soon enough she reached the top. There she lay down and rested.

Or rather, she tried to rest.

“Goodnight dear,” came the sing-song voice of the fairy godmother.

“Goodnight,” replied the princess.

But the night was not good to her. She tossed and turned, trying but unable to get comfortable. It felt as though something was digging into her back all night no matter where she seemed to move.

When the light of morning finally came the princess had slept not at all. She inched her way down the ladder when she heard the fairy godmother greet her with a much too chipper “rise and shine dear.” She was bleary-eyed, messy-haired, and cranky. Her tiara lay crooked across her head, and she straightened it the best she could when she reached the ground.

“Oh my,” said the fairy woman. “You seem not to have slept a wink.”

The princess’ face grew a bit red.

“There was something digging into my back all night,” she said. “Try as I might I could not get comfortable, even on all of those mattresses. I could not fall asleep.”

At this, the princess burst into tears. “I’ll just look like a mess if I meet the prince, and I’m too exhausted to do much of anything. I don’t know if I can do your verification test!”

She continued to sob for a moment before a hand gently took her shoulder.

“My dear, you’ve already passed the test,” said the fairy. “For you see, underneath all of those mattresses was a single pea.”

“A pea?”

“Yes,” the fairy continued. “And only a true princess could feel such a thing.”

A wave of euphoria slowly washed over the princess. Now she could meet and marry the prince. She had never felt so happy, and all thoughts of being tired vanished in an instant.

“When may I meet the prince,” she asked, her look of excitement impossible to mask.

“He is waiting for you now,” said the fairy. She briefly touched the princess’ cheek, smiled that bright smile, then began turning toward the door. “I’ll get him for you.”

The fairy godmother made her way to the door and stepped just outside. The princess’ heart pounded in anticipation.

“She is indeed a true princess,” she heard the old fairy say. “The last one you will need.”

“The last one...,” the princess began to say to herself. The last words caught in her throat when the fairy stepped into the doorway.

“Here he is my dear,” she said, holding the door with one hand and ushering the prince into the room.

He had the most beautiful coal black hair, and strong, solid features. And those beautiful green eyes seemed to mesmerize her.

But what made the words stop in her throat, made her blood turn cold and her knees begin to quake and tears come to her eyes, were the big, sharp teeth.

It was the biggest, blackest wolf the princess would ever see.

As it pounced toward her she knew it would be the last thing she would ever see.

“Why,” she managed to whisper before being knocked to the floor. No answer ever came and her world went from colors, to red, to black, to nothing.

The next day the fairy godmother entered the prince’s room. He stood in front of his mirror, straightening his crown and adjusting his best suit of clothes. It was his wedding day.

“You look simply dashing, my boy,” said the fairy.

“I owe it all to you,” he said with a handsome smile. “Had you not known how to break the curse I would still be a wolf and unable to marry my one, true love.”

“Well, my boy,” smiled the old woman. “That’s what fairy godmothers are here for. To make dreams come true.”

She smiled, took his hand and gently led him away from the mirror. She walked him toward the door, past a fireplace. Upon the mantle lay three beautiful tiaras.

The prince glanced at them, glanced at his fairy godmother.

“I feel bad about...,” he began.

“Do not,” his fairy godmother interrupted. “They all came here hoping that someone would make their dreams come true. In their haste they were blinded to an old saying.”

“What is that,” asked the prince.

The fairy godmother smiled, gave his hand a squeeze. “Before you wish that dreams come true,” she said. “Be sure the dream belongs to you.”

The prince smiled. “Of course.”

He and his fairy godmother left the room and made their way to the wedding. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and the prince and his one, true love were married. They would live happily ever after.

The End.